Sometimes the best recipes happen when you don’t have time to plan. This is one of those recipes. Even better because it only uses 4 ingredients. Fun for the 4th of July, too.
I needed an appetizer, but didn’t have extra time for prep. I also did not have time to go to the store, so I used what I had on hand. I had some boneless chicken breasts. I could also have used boneless thighs or even chicken wings. I used what I had.
I cut them into strips and poured a bunch of hot sauce over them. Put them in the fridge to marinade overnight. The next day I just tossed the chicken strips in breadcrumbs and fried them in a little oil. Served with extra hot sauce on the side, they were a big hit.
Firecracker Chicken
2 lbs. boneless chicken, I used breasts, but thighs would be good, or wings
3/4 c. hot sauce, plus extra when serving
2 c. bread crumbs
2 c. oil, for pan frying
Cut chicken into strips and place in a bowl. Pour over the hot sauce and stir to coat evenly. Cover and chill overnight, or even for a couple of days. Place bread crumbs in a plastic bag. Place a small handful of chicken in the bag and shake to coat. Place on a plate and continue with the rest of the chicken. Heat oil in skillet to 350- 375 degrees. fry chicken in several batches- you don’t want to crowd them in the skillet- that will make the oil col down too much. Fry for a minute or two per side. Remove to platter lined with paper towels and cook the rest of the chicken. Keep chicken warm until ready to serve. serve with extra hot sauce on the side. Serves 8 or more as an appetizer, but can be served as a main dish, too.
These little treats make a great addition to your 4th of July party. They are simple to make, with only three ingredients. You can make them in no time at all. It is a fun treat for kids to make, too.
Think of the cherry bombs as a type of candy. A simple, sweet treat that can be served just as they are. They can also be used to top a cake or other dessert. You can even garnish a cocktail with them. I did the same thing with strawberries, but “strawberry bombs” did not have the same ring to it.
To make the cherry bombs, you will need cherries, white chocolate and blue sugar. If you don’t have blue sugar, you can put granulated sugar in a bag, add a few drops of blue food coloring, seal the bag and shake it up. The sugar will turn blue. You could also use blue sprinkles.
Wash and dry off some large, sweet cherries. Melt white chocolate, stirring until smooth. Dip the cherries in the white chocolate, then the blue sugar. Place on wax paper to firm up. Store in fridge.
Sometimes new recipes just sort of happen. I was finally having a few friends over for dinner. I was pondering dessert- I do that a lot these days- ponder.
I remembered a package of ladyfingers that I originally got to make tiramisu. I worried they might be getting stale. I hate to waste food. I opened up one of the packages and ate one. It was fine. Nice and crisp.
I want to just say something about ladyfingers. There are two types I see in stores around here, soft or crisp. The soft ones are smaller and cake-like and found in bakeries in grocery stores. Like sponge cake. The other ladyfingers are crisp and larger. I find them at Italian stores and sometimes at specialty grocery stores. The ladyfingers you want for this recipe are the larger, crisp ladyfingers.
I had fresh strawberries and decided to combine them with the ladyfingers to make a sort of shortcake. Made sense to me. I pondered a little longer about what other ingredients to add. I wanted the cookies to soften, but not to get mushy. I knew the strawberries, when combined with sugar, would create juice. The decision to add pudding was for extra richness.
Then I thought about what else to include. Chocolate seemed like a nice flavor choice. I had a jar of hazelnut spread. (That is my way of not using the brand name Nutella.) Just in case you didn’t know what I was talking about. I had a fresh jar- 13 oz. -and used about half a jar in the dessert. I could have added more, but I was still happy with the pop of flavor the spread added. If you make this dessert- feel free to add as much spread as you like.
I was happy with how it came out. The ladyfingers were soft, not mushy. They actually were kind of fluffy. The flavors blended so nicely. Great summer dessert. Light and refreshing, but kind of rich, too.
One friend said she almost expected me to top the shortcake with blueberries as I added the whipped cream topping. She thought that would make a nice addition for the 4th of July. I agree. You could easily combine blueberries with strawberries, cherries or raspberries.
Once I was serving dessert, another friend asked there were bananas in it. I hadn’t. This recipe would be lovely made with sliced bananas, or other fruits. Peaches would work well, too.
Finally, the name. I decided to call it a shortcake-trifle. One of my friends- they are a chatty group- said she thought it was a trifle. When I looked at it, I could see why she thought that. So call it what you like- shortcake, trifle, shortcake-trifle- or just dessert. No matter what you call it, I assure you, your friends and family are going to love it. As an added bonus, it is pretty simple to make, with a minimal amount of cooking. Even less if you opt to use pre-made pudding.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
1½ – 2 pounds strawberries, washed, stemmed and sliced
½ c. sugar
24 ladyfingers
1 recipe vanilla pudding- recipe follows
¾ c. Hazelnut chocolate spread
Whipped cream or whipped topping
Combine strawberries with the sugar and set aside. Make the pudding, if you haven’t already. You can use premade pudding. You’ll need 2-3 cups of pudding. I had some leftover from the recipe I made. In a 9×9-inch baking dish, place one layer of the cookies. You might have to trim them a little to fit. I had 2 rows of 6 cookies, but I had to break off a little for the second row to fit. Spoon over half of the strawberries, with some of the liquid in the bowl. Spread a layer of pudding over the berries. For the next layer, spread some of the hazelnut spread over each lady finger before putting it in the pan. When you put them in the pan, place them with the spread on the under side. Add another layer of the pudding, then top with the rest of the strawberries. Cover and place in fridge until ready to serve. You can do all this up to 2 days ahead. Before serving, remove cover and top with whipped cream or any whipped topping you like. Serves 6-8.
Vanilla Pudding
1 c. sugar
½ c. cornstarch
½ t. salt
3 ¾ c. half and half
1 T. vanilla- or a little more
2 T. butter
Combine dry ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk in half and half and vanilla until well mixed. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble and get thickened. Mixture will get pretty thick. Turn down heat to keep it from scorching. As soon as pudding is thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Place pudding in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. Makes about 4 cups.
Start by layering strawberries over a base of ladyfingersOnce layers are done, chill until ready to top with whipped cream Ready to serve
The first time I made this sorbet, it was kind of an accident. I was in the mood for sorbet and decided on making blueberry. I grabbed a few containers of blueberries out of the freezer and put them on the counter to soften for a few minutes. Well, instead of three containers of blueberries I had grabbed one of blueberries and two of red grapes.
I decided to use them together. It really worked out well, because the grapes added a lot of natural sweetness to the blueberries. I added a couple of tablespoons of sugar to the fruit, but in hindsight, I think the sorbet would be sweet enough without any added sugar. I also added a little fresh mint. It really is a light, refreshing dessert.
Of course, you can start out with fresh fruit in this recipe, you just have to freeze them as some point. We made it in cooking camp last summer and the kids loved it. We made it without adding any extra sugar and the kids thought it was sweet enough. It ends up as a satisfying dessert- that is really just fruit.
Blueberry-Red Grape Sorbet
4 c. red grapes, fresh or frozen
2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
sugar to taste- I used a couple of tablespoons
a few sprigs of fresh mint, optional
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. You might have to do this in a couple of batches. Place in a container and freeze until solid. Remove from freezer and allow to soften for about 20 minutes, or even a little less. Mixture should still be frozen, but soft enough to break into chunks. Place in processor and mix again. Mixture will get smoother and softer. You can also do this step in a stand mixer or even with a hand mixer. Return sorbet to freezer, until ready to eat it. For even smoother sorbet, repeat the step of softening and running through the processor again.
I bought a lot of cherries, with plans to make jam. I had some left, so I decided to use some of the cherries to make cherry liqueur.
I make a lot of homemade liqueurs, but cherry is one of my favorites. I enjoy just sipping it, or adding it to other cocktails or mixing it with soda water.
It is easy, and the reward is having this lovely liqueur to enjoy even when cherries aren’t in season. I added a couple of vanilla beans to mine, but you can leave them out, if you prefer. You could also add 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
If you like a less sweet liqueur, you can add less sugar. You could also use sour cherries instead.
Cherry Liqueur
2 c. granulated sugar 4 c. vodka or brandy 1 lb. large, washed, stemmed and pitted sweet cherries 2 (6-7 inch) vanilla beans, broken into several pieces
Place sugar and vodka or brandy in a large jar- I used a half gallon canning jar. Stir until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add cherries and vanilla and cover jar. Do not stir. Place in a cool, dark place for 3 months, without stirring or shaking. Strain and filter. Divine! Makes 4-6 cups.
Couscous is one of those foods that is as much fun to say as it is to eat. Couscous is just very tiny pasta. To cook it, you just pour boiling water or stock over it- and give the couscous a few minutes to absorb the water. So easy, and nice on a hot day, when you don’t want to do a lot of cooking.
For this salad I combined the couscous with shrimp, some fresh dill and a light dressing. I had some sunflower sprouts, so I added them to the top- just for fun. I also served my salad on a bed of fresh salad greens.
Couscous Salad with Shrimp and Dill
½ c. olive oil ¼ c. fresh lemon juice 1 clove minced garlic 1 t. celery seed 2 c. couscous, about 10 oz. 2 ¼ c. boiling water or vegetable broth 1 lb. peeled cooked shrimp 1 c. diced sweet red pepper ½ c. chopped green onions 2 T. fresh dill weed or 2 t. dried Whisk first 4 ingredients together for dressing. Place couscous in heat proof bowl and pour over the boiling water. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Pour over dressing and toss to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. 6 Servings.
If you need a really special dessert for your next party or cookout, consider making this cheesy cherry blueberry coffee cake. It is one of my favorite coffee cake recipes ever. This is a great dessert for the 4th of July.
The cake is not too sweet, and the combination of cream cheese, with the fruit, reminds me of a cherry-blueberry blintz.
The streusal topping adds a nice little crunch.
It is fine served all on its own. You can also serve it with ice cream or whipped cream. You can also top with more blueberries and cherries.
While I think of this cake as a wonderful dessert, it can be served as a breakfast or brunch dish.
As if this weren’t enough- this cake freezes great. Who are we kidding? There won’t be any leftovers – but you could freeze them, if you had some.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Cheesy Cherry-Blueberry Coffee Cake
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. milk
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. pitted and coarsely chopped cherries
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 t. grated lemon peel
Topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 t. grated lemon peel
2 T. butter
Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour a 13×9 inch baking dish. Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine 2 cups of the flour with baking powder and salt and beat into batter alternately with the milk. Toss fruit with the remaining flour and fold into the batter along with the cheese and lemon rind. Pour batter into prepared pan. Combine sugar, flour and lemon peel for topping and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter and bake for about 45 minutes. Use toothpick to test for doneness. Serves 12.
This colorful salad can be a side dish or main dish. I like it as a main dish for hot summer days. It somehow manages to be light and filling at the same time. It makes a wonderful lunch, served over a bed of salad greens.
The combination of sweet corn and barley works so well together. I don’t think most people think of salad, when they think of barley. Barley is more commonly used in soups. But this versatile grain can also be a nice ingredient in a salad. Perfect on a hot day, when you want a lighter meal.
I had grilled corn, and had some leftover, so that is what I used. I think the smokiness of the grilled corn added a nice touch. I had some fresh basil so I added that, too.
If you are looking for a new salad idea this summer- you might try adding barley to your next salad.
Corn and Barley Salad with Basil
½ c. pearl barley salt 3 T. cider or white wine vinegar 1 t. Dijon mustard fresh ground pepper 3 T. olive oil 3 T. fresh basil, cut into thin strips 3 c. cooked corn, from about six ears 1 c. diced sweet onion 1 c. diced sweet pepper, any color ¼ c. sliced green onions
Combine barley, 2 cups water and ½ t. salt in saucepan and simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with barley in large bowl. Makes 6 servings.
I had this pineapple and knew right away I wanted to make a sorbet with it. I’ve been making a lot of ice cream lately and wanted a lighter option.
You can use pretty much any fruit to make sorbet. Pineapple is one of my favorites. The ingredients are fruit and sweetener. After that, extras like fruit juices, extracts, herbs and spices are up to you. Keep it simple, or spice it up, to suit your mood. I often add fresh herbs to my sorbet. Mint is the obvious choice, but I have also added basil, lavender and pineapple sage.
Once frozen, the mixture will taste less sweet. Sweeten to taste, but allow for that change in flavor. If it isn’t sweet enough for you once it is frozen, you can add a little honey when processing it. You can also serve it topped with a fruit syrup for extra sweetness, if desired.
Besides using sorbet as a dessert, you can add a scoop to summer drinks, too. Sorbet can add a whole new dimension to cocktails.
Pineapple Sorbet
1 pineapple
½ c. sugar- or a little more to suit your taste
1 T. lemon juice
Wash pineapple, remove rind and core. Chunk up the flesh of the pineapple and puree in a food processor until smooth. Place pineapple puree in a bowl and sweeten to taste. I had a really ripe, sweet pineapple, so I used about ½ cup of sugar. You might want more, or less, according to your own taste. Once frozen, the sorbet will taste less sweet- so make sure to sweeten it enough. You can also sweeten with honey. Stir in the lemon juice, too. Place in a container with a lid and place in freezer.
Once the mixture is frozen- remove from the freezer, let soften a little bit- just a few minutes. Use a spoon or fork to break off chunks of the sorbet. Place in a food processor and puree until smooth. Mixture should start to look creamy. I have had the most success using a smaller processor and doing this in batches, but do what works for you. Return to freezer until ready to serve.
Note: You can repeat the process of processing another time or two. Each time the frozen sorbet is reprocessed, it will get a little smoother. I only processed this pineapple sorbet one time- after it was frozen. The texture was delightful. You could also freeze it in an ice cream machine instead.
This is the perfect summer dessert. Fresh berries, a light, citrus-scented cake and ice cream. What more could you want?
When you say cake roll, I think a lot of people first think of a pumpkin roll or Buche de Noel (yule log). There are so many more desserts you can make with them. Cake rolls can be made in many flavors and they can be filled with custard, frosting, fruit, ice cream and more.
For this sponge cake roll, I used homemade strawberry ice cream to fill it, recipe follows. You could use store bought ice cream, if you prefer.
Start with the sponge cake roll recipe below, and use whatever flavor ice cream you like. You’ll need about a quart of ice cream- or a little more.
Once finished, you just wrap it up and pop the cake in the freezer until needed. Great to have on hand for summer parties and cook outs. You can decorate with fresh berries when serving. Blueberries would make this a fun red, white and blue dessert for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
Sponge Cake Roll
This sponge cake roll can be filled with whipped cream or ice cream, or use your favorite filling. 5 eggs, separated 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 2/3 cup cake flour* 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons melted butter Beat egg yolks until thicken and lemon colored; gradually add 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat egg whites until almost stiff then gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Sift dry ingredients into a separate container; add to egg mixture, folding in carefully. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into waxed paper-lined 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Turn onto a clean kitchen towel which has been generously dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Trim edges, if necessary; roll cake up, towel and all, while still warm. Let cool completely. Unroll and fill with whipped cream or ice cream then re-roll cake. The trick is to let the ice cream soften up a few minutes before spreading it on the cake. But don’t wait too long. Rather than trying to let the ice cream get soft enough to spread I used a spatula to sort of cut slices of ice cream and place them on the cake. Store ice cream cake roll in freezer until ready to slice and serve.
*If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own. Measure out a cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. For larger amounts place 7 cups of flour in a bowl and combine with 1 cup of cornstarch. Mix well or even sift together. Store in an airtight container.
Strawberry Ice Cream
2 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 c. cream or half and half or a combination. You can also use some milk or even almond or rice milk.
Additional sugar to taste
Place strawberries, vanilla and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Combine chilled berry mixture with cream. Add additional sugar if you like. Remember that once it is frozen the ice cream will not taste as sweet so make this mixture a little sweeter than you want the final product to be. How much sugar you add varies with personal taste, and how sweet the berries are. Place in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Once finished put in an air- tight container and place in freezer. Makes about 1 quart.
